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Saturday, September 01, 2007

August, out

I stopped and took a picture at the point where I thought I hit 1,000 miles today. The self-timer on my camera didn't focus, which is fitting, since some of my early-August mountain bike mileage was estimated anyway. But I am a geek, so I took a picture of myself at the exact spot where I believed the imaginary odometer switched over, then rode nine more miles just to cushion myself against guestimates and rounding-ups.

I hurried home because I thought today was going to be the day that I finally tried sea kayaking. But that weather in the background of the above picture disinclined my friends from going out for an afternoon of sitting soaking wet on small boats. So we frittered away the afternoon instead and then went for Death Salsa at Fernando's. I was a bit relieved ... I have heaps of irrational fears to deal with when it comes to open water, especially open water filled with carnivorous whales and boat-tipping sea lions. But I was disappointed, too. In the end, the short morning ride and chickening out of sea kayaking made for an anticlimactic end to my big month. C'est la vie.

Tomorrow should be a good armchair day in the small world of endurance cycling. Many in the Alaska crew are going for "bragging rights" in the Soggy Bottom 100. Danielle and a lot of other cool bloggers are headed to the stacked field at the Shenandoah 100. And not that I know anything about it (beyond, you know, watching "24 Solo") ... but I think Pete Basinger and Lynda Wallenfells have decent shots at titles in the Single Speed and Women's categories of the 24-Hour World Championships solo competition. I'd really like to see Pete do well, because I think he deserves more mainstream exposure of how insanely good he is at the art of riding endlessly. But you never really know how these things will play out. C'est la vie.

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